as in to pretend
to take on a false or deceptive appearance
she's not half as innocent as she likes to let on
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Recent Examples of let on
Payne’s behavior was apparently even scarier than what Henry let on.
—
Federico Fahsbender, Rolling Stone, 11 Feb. 2025
And Jennifer Young Pierce, a gynecologic oncologist at the University of South Alabama, told The Hill that more women run the risk of developing cervical cancer than those numbers let on.
—Alejandra O’Connell-Domenech, The Hill, 3 Dec. 2024
But with the reporting network realigned and any of its problems apparently behind it, Lululemon looks much better placed for a strong Christmas than its CEO is letting on.
—Mark Faithfull, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
While the show was airing, tabloids reported that the relationship between Tyler, his children, and their mother was more involved than Tyler let on.
—Alex Abad-Santos, Vox, 31 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for let on
Federico Fahsbender, Rolling Stone, 11 Feb. 2025
And Jennifer Young Pierce, a gynecologic oncologist at the University of South Alabama, told The Hill that more women run the risk of developing cervical cancer than those numbers let on.
—Alejandra O’Connell-Domenech, The Hill, 3 Dec. 2024
But with the reporting network realigned and any of its problems apparently behind it, Lululemon looks much better placed for a strong Christmas than its CEO is letting on.
—Mark Faithfull, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
While the show was airing, tabloids reported that the relationship between Tyler, his children, and their mother was more involved than Tyler let on.
—Alex Abad-Santos, Vox, 31 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for let on
Recent Examples of Synonyms for let on
Verb
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Read: America is done pretending about meat All of this social-media attention has been translating into people’s actual eating habits, Victoria Fitzgerald, who oversees Whole Foods Market’s meat merchandising, told me.—
Valerie Trapp,
The Atlantic,
17 Apr. 2025
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One such channel, Truthful Mykolaiv, pretends to be local but pushes Kremlin narratives.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Let on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/let%20on. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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